Web aperturing means



s. P. LOVAS ET AL WEB APERTURING MEANS Sheet Original Filed Feb. 4. 1964cm iifllw 3 INVENTORS EN P. LOVASC/ GEORGE SDIMONlCO A ORNEYS Jan. 21,1969 s, P, ov s ET AL 3,422,712

WEB APERTURING MEANS Original Filed Feb. 4, 1964 Sheet g of 2 ZNVENTORSSTEVEN P. LOVAS GEORGE SDIMONICO BY I fiimw, Vii Mm i TTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There are disclosedpackage forming machine parts including means for intermittently movinga web, a vertically reciprocable platform having thereon mold cavitiesin which to receive and temporarily hold package pockets formed in theweb to be punched, and web punching means comprising a stripper foothaving an aperture therethrough and disposed to overlie one face of theweb to be apertured, a punch sleeve reciprocable across the plane of theweb and through the foot aperture at rest positions in the web movement,and a punch sleeve cuttings displacing plunger mounted over the footaperture and disposed to be telescoped by an end of the sleeve, thesleeve end disposed to telescope the plunger being provided with sharpangled punching teeth and there also being included a punch cuttings,receiving tube attached to and reciprocable with the punch sleeve andsupported on and movable with the platform.

This application is a division of the copending application for US.Letters Patent Ser. No. 342,430 filed by Stephen P. Lovas and George S.DiMonico on Feb. 4, 1964, entitled, Packaging Machine and Method ofForming Packages, and now patent 3,347,011, issued Oct. 17, 1967.

The identified parent application covers a machine and method for thevacuum packaging of products in flexible plastic pockets formed fromcontinuous rolls of heat sealable webs wherein a first web is drawn froma roll and moved step-by-step by margin gripping conveyor means, heated,differential pressure molded at one station into pocket clusters eachdivided by wall portions depressed at a centrally intersecting point,the molded pockets being held by differential pressure action and cooledat a succeeding station in the molded shape and against memoryrelaxation, fill being deposited in the molded and held pockets, anevacuating orifice being formed at the depressed intersection point, acover web then being applied over the filled pockets and heat sealedthereover except at the intersecting point, an enclosing chamber thenbeing formed about a there presented filled pocket cluster at anotherstation, the pockets being there interiorly evacuated through theevacuating orifice and the chamber being evacuated about the enclosedcluster, followed by ring sealing of the cluster about its orifice,followed by a venting of the chamber to atmosphere to cause the pocketsto conform in shape to the fill therein, after which, and at anotherstation, completing heat scaling is performed at the previouslynon-sealed intersection point, followed at succeeding positions bydividing of the clusters into individual packages by transverse andlongitudinal cutting of the heat sealed webs.

The present invention, while applicable to broader uses, has for apurpose the provision of novel means for aperturing webs in machines ofthe character hereinabove referred to.

In its more detailed nature the invention seeks to pro- Patented Jan.21, 1969 vide a web aperturing means comprising a stripper foot havingan aperture therethrough and disposed to oppose one face of a web to beapertured, a punch sleeve reciprocable across the plane of the web andthrough the foot aperture, and a punch sleeve cuttings displacingplunger mounted over the foot aperture and disposed to be telescoped bysaid sleeve, the punch sleeve end disposed to telescope the plungerbeing provided with sharp angled punching teeth.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claim and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat fragmentary and schematic side elevation ofpackage forming machine structure having the web aperturing means of theinvention incorporated therein.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional viewillustrating the web aperturing means of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 33 on FIGURE 2.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, namelythat of the parent application hereinabove referred to, the machineframe structure is generally designated 5 and supports thereon a drivingmotor 6 arranged to drive a speed reducer 7 of any approved type throughdriving pulley and belt means generally designated 8. See FIGURE 1. Thespeed reducer serves to impart the desired rotation to shaft means 10and therethrough to an indexing unit 17 of any approved type the poweroutput shaft 18 of which carries a driver sprocket 19. The driversprocket 19 is chain coupled at 20 to impart rotation to the driversprocket 21 on the cross shaft 22 whereon the chain driving sprockets 23are mounted, thereby to impart intermittent or step-by-step movement tothe web feeding chains schematically indicated at 24 and which are to beassumed as equipped with the web margin gripping clamps illustrated indetail in the hereinabove mentioned parent application but not shownherein. The chains pass over idler sprockets 27 at the web receiving endof the machine at the right of FIGURE 1.

The lower web 26 is drawn off a supply roll 28 supported at 29 on theframe and is the web which is to have fill receiving pockets formedtherein.

In this example disclosure this web also is the web in which aperturesare to be punched by the aperture forming means of the invention claimedherein. However, it is to be understood that said punching means may beplaced for punching a cover web or webs of kinds or natures other thanare in contemplation in the package forming machine of the hereinreferred to parent application.

In the machine of said parent application the upper flights of the webfeeding chains, moving from right to left as viewed in FIGURE 1initially pass a first Web preheating station A, then a secondpreheating and holding station B, a pocket cluster forming station C, apocket holding and filling station D and then a lower web orificingstation E at which the web punching means of the invention claimedherein is located. After being orificed at station E the pocketed andorificed web with its filled pockets has a cover web applied thereoveras shown at 30 at the left in FIGURE 1 and then is moved on through aninitial sealing station, a package evacuating station, a final sealingstation and through package cluster separating means all as clearlyshown and described in the herein referred to parent application butnone of which are of importance in this particular disclosure, and henceare not shown or described herein.

It should be mentioned, however, that the pocket molding and holdingdevices at stations C and D are carried on a vertically reciprocableplatform or carrier 8.

At station E, the orifice punching means generally designated 107 of theinvention claimed herein is located. At this position, a supportingbracket 108 is suitably mounted on a super structure portion 109 of themachine framing and includes a horizontally turned portion 110 to whicha presser foot or stripper 111 is removably secured at 112. The foot 111has an aperture 113 extending therethrough and disposed to receivetherein a plunger 114 which is suspended stationarily on a carrier 115which is secured at 116 to the bracket 108. The previously describedvertically reciprocable platform or carrier 78, has an end portionextending under the evacuation orifice punching station as illustratedin FIGURE 2, and this platform end portion carries a sleeve mounting andpunched disk receiving tube 117. At the top end of this tube is mounteda sharp angled toothed cutter sleeve 118 which is sized to freelytelescope over the stationary plunger 114 as shown in FIG- URE 2. Itwill be apparent by reference to FIGURE 2 that each cluster of moldedpockets will include the depressed cruciform portion molded over theintersecting mold wall portions and this depressed cruciform portionwill come to rest at the punch station centered over the axis of thetube 117 and the punch sleeve 118 carried thereby. Thus each time theplatform 78 rises, it will cause the sharp angled teeth of the sleeve118 to punch through the web, in this particular example disclosure atthe cruciform depressed portion of the web, the presser foot or stripper111 preventing objectionable movement of the web upwardly orobjectionable deformation of the perforated web portion, and the diskthus punched out of the web will be forced downwardly through thepunching end of the sleeve 118 to fall into and through the tube 117 andthe communicating discharge tube portion 119 for collection in a wastetrough or the like (not shown).

It is repeated that in this example disclosure the orificing means ofthe present invention is shown in form and position for formingevacuating orificing in a web employed in a package forming operation,but it is to be understood that said means may be employed in theorificing of various kinds and placements of webs, and modified instructure, without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claim.

We claim:

1. In a package forming machine, means for intermittently moving a webto be apertured, a web aperturing means comprising a stripper foothaving an aperture therethrough and disposed to overlie one face of theweb to be apertured, a punch sleeve reciprocable across the plane of theweb and through the foot aperture at rest positions in the web movement,and a punch sleeve cuttings displacing plunger mounted over the footaperture and disposed to be telescoped by an end of said sleeve, saidsleeve end disposed to telescope the plunger being provided with sharpangled punching teeth, and there also being included a punch cuttingsreceiving tube disposed in axial alignment with the punch sleeve toreceive cuttings from the punch sleeve and deliver them away therefromsaid receiving tube forming a support for the punch sleeve and being inturn supported on a vertically reciprocable platform having thereon moldcavities in which to receive and temporarily hold package pockets formedin the web to be punched, each rest position of the Web being arrangedto place each punched aperture between package pockets in the web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,431,541 lO/1922 Randall 83126-2,220,236 ll/ 1940 Haegele 83124 2,220,270 1l/1940 Page 83126 X2,282,259 5/1942 Sorensen 83123 JAMES M. MEISTER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

